Biography
The creator of the "Pachuco sound" that swept through the close of the 1940s, Don Tosti earned recognition as the godfather of Chicano R&B by producing the first Latino record ever to reach a million sales with "Pachuco Boogie." Born Edmundo Martinez Tostado in El Paso, TX, in 1923, he had already mastered numerous instruments by age seven and, at nine, performed on violin with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. Five years afterward he relocated to Los Angeles, where he served as concertmaster of the All National High School Symphony Orchestra. At nineteen he switched to the upright bass and pursued jazz studies with Arthur Pabst, adopting the professional name Don Tosti—a childhood nickname—once he noticed that his Latino background was limiting opportunities, among them a position with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. At the same time he enrolled in accounting courses at L.A. City College and joined the school jazz ensemble; jazz trombonist Jack Teagarden, visiting campus to tape an armed forces radio broadcast, heard him play and extended an invitation to join the session. Teagarden soon offered full-time employment, and within days Tosti was performing with the trombonist’s big band in New York City.
In the years that followed he worked alongside Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, and Jimmy Dorsey, the last of whom acted as best man at Tosti’s first wedding. As one of the few Mexican-American players active during the height of the big-band period, he felt the sting of cultural exclusion sharply enough to begin weaving Latino elements into his own compositions. Following the counsel of his father, an event promoter, Tosti started writing original material and assembled a group featuring pianist Eddie Cano, saxophonist Bob Hernandez, and drummer Raul Diaz. Their blend of jazz, boogie, and blues with Latin rhythms produced the style they termed "Pachuco." Issued in 1948 on Discos Taxco under the name Cuarteto Don Ramon to honor Tosti’s father, the 78-rpm single "Pachuco Boogie" achieved immediate, unprecedented success, its pounding piano and propulsive jump-blues rhythm supporting Tosti’s rapid-fire Chicano rap and vividly capturing the stylish energy of the emerging zoot-suit scene.
Two strong follow-ups, "Wine-O Boogie" and "El Tirili," appeared on Music Master in 1949 and solidified his reputation; he soon headlined the Hollywood Palladium and hosted KHJ-TV’s Momentos Alegres. Steady sideman work included notable contributions to Pérez Prado’s landmark albums Voodoo Suite and Havana 3 A.M. Tosti later joined RCA, Prado’s own label, and re-cut his earlier successes in a broader, mambo-oriented approach that softened the intensity of the original versions, although he could still deliver spirited performances such as the buoyant "Chicano Boogie." In 1963 he married model and actress Ruth Lila Margulies, moved to Palm Springs, and shifted into society music, leading orchestras at the Biltmore Hotel and Canyon Hotel while playing piano at local functions. He also ran the booking agency Music by Tosti and gave lessons on voice, bass, piano, and guitar. Tosti died August 2, 2004, after a struggle with prostate cancer; he was 81.
In the years that followed he worked alongside Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, and Jimmy Dorsey, the last of whom acted as best man at Tosti’s first wedding. As one of the few Mexican-American players active during the height of the big-band period, he felt the sting of cultural exclusion sharply enough to begin weaving Latino elements into his own compositions. Following the counsel of his father, an event promoter, Tosti started writing original material and assembled a group featuring pianist Eddie Cano, saxophonist Bob Hernandez, and drummer Raul Diaz. Their blend of jazz, boogie, and blues with Latin rhythms produced the style they termed "Pachuco." Issued in 1948 on Discos Taxco under the name Cuarteto Don Ramon to honor Tosti’s father, the 78-rpm single "Pachuco Boogie" achieved immediate, unprecedented success, its pounding piano and propulsive jump-blues rhythm supporting Tosti’s rapid-fire Chicano rap and vividly capturing the stylish energy of the emerging zoot-suit scene.
Two strong follow-ups, "Wine-O Boogie" and "El Tirili," appeared on Music Master in 1949 and solidified his reputation; he soon headlined the Hollywood Palladium and hosted KHJ-TV’s Momentos Alegres. Steady sideman work included notable contributions to Pérez Prado’s landmark albums Voodoo Suite and Havana 3 A.M. Tosti later joined RCA, Prado’s own label, and re-cut his earlier successes in a broader, mambo-oriented approach that softened the intensity of the original versions, although he could still deliver spirited performances such as the buoyant "Chicano Boogie." In 1963 he married model and actress Ruth Lila Margulies, moved to Palm Springs, and shifted into society music, leading orchestras at the Biltmore Hotel and Canyon Hotel while playing piano at local functions. He also ran the booking agency Music by Tosti and gave lessons on voice, bass, piano, and guitar. Tosti died August 2, 2004, after a struggle with prostate cancer; he was 81.
Albums